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Data Acquisition and Control
DAQCplate
DAQC2plate
TINKERplate
Temperature Measurement
THERMOplate
Type K Thermocouple
DS18B20
Relay Control
RELAYplate
RELAYplate2
Power Management
POWERplate
Motor Control
MOTORplate
Cases
CASEplate
DINplate
Kits
TINKERkit
STARTERkit
PIPLATElogger
Introduction to Pi-Plates
Pi-Plates are a family of stackable and interchangeable add-on circuit boards that allow you to interact with the outside world using your Raspberry Pi. If you don't have a Raspberry Pi yet, then steer your browser over to RaspberryPi.org and see what you're missing!
Every Pi-Plate is designed to provide a robust set of features at minimal cost while using the fewest pins possible on the RPi header. For example, the DAQCplate only requires two dedicated pins, yet eight of these Pi-Plates can be stacked to provide 64 analog inputs, 64 digital inputs, 56 open collector outputs, and 16 analog outputs. Pi-Plates are mechanically and electrically compatible with all revisions of the Raspberry Pi with 40 pin headers (including the Pi 3 Model B and Pi Zero) and are designed to satisfy the needs of hobbyists, experimenters, and professionals. Customers who have purchased Pi-Plates include the Fluke Corporation, CERN, Villanova University, Spectra Physics, North Carolina State University, Analog Devices, the University of Cincinnati, the Smithsonian Institution, Virginia Tech University, MIT, Argonne National Laboratory, iRobot, and Alphabet to name just a few.
Our product offerings include:
- Our flagship DAQCplate board (pronounced DAC-SEE) that provides analog to digital converters, digital to analog converters, as well as expanded digital I/O
- The MOTORplate motor controller board. Drive two stepper motors or 4 DC motors with a single board. Onboard software handles all drive logic as well as acceleration profiles.
- The RELAYplate switch board. Safely control up to seven high voltage / high current devices with a single board. Designed to meet the stringent safety requirements of UL 60950.
- The DAQC²plate advanced data acquisition and control board combines eight 16-bit A/D converters with four 12-bit true D/A controllers and eight high current digital outputs. This board includes a number of free applications including a digital oscilloscope and a function generator.
- The TINKERplate HAT. A small power Pi-Plate with four analog inputs, two relays, and eight smart digital I/O ports.
- The THERMOplate twelve input temperature measurement board with eight, 16-bit type K thermocouple inputs and four, 12-bit DS18B20 inputs.
- The CASEplate mounting system which provides a sturdy, low cost, and secure structure for stacking your Pi-Plates. Each Pi-Plate board comes with the hardware necessary to mount to the CASEplate.
- The DINplate mounting system which provides a sturdy, low cost, and secure structure for stacking and mounting your Pi-Plates to a 35mm DIN rail. Each Pi-Plate board comes with the hardware necessary to mount and stack to the DINplate.
- The POWERplate - a multipurpose power management board with Real Time Clock, RPi cooling fan, multiple input power connectors, ON/OFF switch, and scheduler.
- The STARTERkit - includes a POWERplate and a CASEplate to build a solid mechanical and electrical foundation for your Pi-Plate stack.
For more details, continue reading or visit our Product page.
Stack Pi-Plates to Increase I/O Ports
Pi-Plates are uniquely designed to be electrically and mechanically stacked on top of each other to provide all of the input/output capabilities that your design needs. Does your application require monitoring 16 analog voltages? Then stack two of our DAQCplates together and control them with a single Raspberry Pi! Are you building a small 3D printer or CNC and need to drive five stepper motors? Then stack three of our MOTORplates together. Up to eight of each Pi-Plate model can be stacked. So, if you need 64 analog and digital inputs, stack eight DAQCplates together:
Each Pi-Plate comes with a set of threaded spacers that allow you to build your stack. Nothing extra is required. However, we do recommend that you consider our low cost CASEplate to provide a clean and sturdy mount for your stack.
Combine Pi-Plates to Meet Your Needs
You can combine different Pi-Plates in your stack! Need to turn on an AC powered fan when the temperature gets too high? Then use our RELAYplate to control the fan and stack it with a DAQCplate to monitor the temperature through an analog input. When you combine different Pi-Plates on a stack you can still mount up to eight of each kind. For example, you can stack eight DAQCplates with eight RELAYplates and eight MOTORplates - that's a big stack! And they can be placed in any order.
Raspberry Pi, DAQCplate, RELAYplate, and MOTORplate in a single stack.
Specifications and Features Required by Professionals
All Pi-Plates are designed to offer the best features for the lowest price. And, with over 40 years of experience, our electrical engineers ensure that each Pi-Plate is both rugged and safe. Design details that set our products apart from the competition include:
- Protected inputs to prevent damage from overvoltage and electrostatic discharge
- UL60950 compliance to prevent shock and protect equipment on the RELAYplate
- Professional features such as acceleration profiles on the MOTORplate
- Intuitive instruction set with both Python and node-RED libraries available.
- Rich documentation
- 100% Tested
- Stored and shipped in electrostatic packaging
Compare our features to any competitive product and you will quickly be convinced that Pi-Plates truly are best in class.
"The board performs as expected. I am measuring three analog voltages and a temperature reference. I'm using python libraries downloaded from Pi-Plates. Construction quality is great."
"Great motor board. Good documentation on seller's website. Product worked as described and service was fast when I had a question. Easy programming to get the motors to work. It took no time to set up the board to control 4 motors for my robot car."
"Just wanted to let you know your product is working great for us and just what we needed"
"This relay board rocks."
"The item arrived promptly. The quality was excellent. I stacked a relay board from the same manufacturer with the DAQC board on a Raspberry Pi 3. The drivers all worked perfectly and I had my prototype working within a few hours. I also purchased the clear plastic case consisting of two plexiglass plates with standoffs to hold the stack together securely. Highly recommended."
For a sample of our documentation, check out one of our User Guides below:
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